Fight Club Tyler Durden T-shirts?

I respect souls opinion he's got a great eye for details but I'm not sure it was "proven". I will have to say that I disagree... You can't just crease a leather jacket collar back and fourth from one look to another and then exactly back to the first. If this were the case, and it were that easy, everyone's JAL collar would look like the fox studios jacket. I have a large collection of leather jackets and I have spent a lot of time distressing some of them for quite a while, acetone, paint, shoe polish, the oven, clothes iron, ball up, washer and dryer, automotive epoxy, spray paint, sandblasting etc. In my experience, each jacket has its own "character" for the lack of a better term and they always return to their original state (to some degree) Also the way that arms crease on the jackets is different and that is another detail that can just go back and fourth either. I guess we will never know.

These images are enough proof for me to believe there is no physical evidence of there being more then two jackets including the xmart jacket. And if there are more then two, then there is absolutely no more then three, which must be a 100% identical copy. Remember that the film and promo pics where shot for months and the jacket would change. I put a jacket of mine in a washing machine with no soap and it never regained it's original texture, shape, or finish.

Danman said:

Has anyone ever found a pair of polyester pants like Tyler's red pants in the exact same style with the thicker waist band?

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Or even a product by Adidas or anyone that has a pair thy look remotely the same

By the way I'm starting a new shirt project soon with a friend who is the gandalf of photoshop

Exiting times ahead! Can't wait to show you all!

Steve, as far as everyone's Jal jacket looking like the fox studio jacket. We already know that the fox studio jacket is made of lamb and almost everyone's Jal up until sphongled and Aj have had their jackets made in calf. On top of that, the fox jacket has been washed, painted and who knows what else it has endured to get that look and texture. AJ's and sphongled's jackets haven't even been touched yet. And of course, no one is going to drench or soak their jackets in what to get the look.

Danman said:

Has anyone ever found a pair of polyester pants like Tyler's red pants in the exact same style with the thicker waist band?

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I've had a few different pairs over the years. This is a pair I'm currently working on. It needs a couple modifications as you can see.

Sweet. That color is perfect soul.

Hi Daniel,


Thank you for your compliments,
I do make the jackets new, I don't do the aging.
If you would like me to make one for you I'd be happy to.
I'm not familiar with all the other pieces but usually if it is screen used their will be tags from the costume department
attached or something to show if it is the #1 or stunt jacket (an asset tag.)
I made this jacket in 1998, there were a lot of vintage jackets I can show you a jacket from the Arizona comic con if you want to see that.
As to this pic from you I can't speculate.
From the pic, it does not look like one I painted.
The wear around the cuff, and collar shows too much weather wear.
I'll send to you the pic from the convention.

All the best,
Jonathan

So these are the images jonathan sent me. With this message-Hi Daniel,here are three pics I have.
see attachments

All the best,
Jonathan

he sent me AJ's pics from the Arizona exhibit.

He couldnt really answer my question so I've emailed him again with several more specific questions and that'll be my last attempt at getting a definitive answer regarding the origin of this mystery jacket and the reason the collar and pockets were changed. He, or whoever answered me seems to be fuzzy on the jacket

I had a feeling that wasnt a JAL.

Are those AJ's pics?

Nah. I don't think he really answered that question. And also, if it isn't a JAl, then he was not the true designer of the jacket, he would've just replicated a vintage jacket to make the screen used costume jacket. Yea soul, he said he would send me pics and he sent me three of AJ's pics.

Just so you guys can see, this is the original email I sent him.


Greetings,


first I'd like to say I am a great admirer of your work, and think you're a true artist and master craftsman. I know you get a tone of questions and requests regarding your fight club jacket, so I'll make this quick.


There is a jacket that appeared in 2001 which sold on a screen-used prop website that is an identical match to your fight club button jacket, except for two details, the collar and the front pocket flaps. I and many others know that this jacket was not used in the film because the jacket or jackets used in the film had a very unique and specific collar and the pocket flaps were rounded instead of the pointy western pocket flaps seen on this prop jacket.


Much debate has come from this prop jacket ( which has no tags or labels on it ), and it is believed to have been a prototype that was distressed to hell but was never used in the film.


As far as we have all heard, several jackets were brought to you to get ideas as to what you and Michael Kaplan were going for, and there are also those who believe that this prop-store prototype jacket was a jacket Kaplan found in a vintage thrift shop and was just replicated by you with the exception of the collar and pocket flaps.


I just wanted to confirm once and for all if this jacket was created by you and if it was distressed by you or the production team.


I would really love to have one of these made in the color and leather of this jacket which looks really vintage and distressed very very beautifully. I know jackets are usually made in lamb and calf, but I am no expert so I can't determine what type of leather was used for this particular jacket. I would also love to know what your opinion is on how this jacket was distressed so precise to the point where it looks old, weathered and cracked like it is.


I really love this BURNT ORANGE/RUST color that this jacket is in.. and I love that faded finish that it has now that it"s been distressed.


I know you're a very busy, hard working guy who has a ton of jobs to do but I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me out with this.


Thank you very much, and once again, I love all your work.


I have attached images of the jacket.


Thanks,


Dan

Ok let me play devils advocate. What proof do we have this jacket was actually around during production? What if it is a replicated prop that had two mistakes? Collar and pockets.

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Like how do we not know someone took Polaroids of the original jacket and tried to replicate it back in 2000?

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I mean isn't strange JAL is saying he hasn't seen this jacket yet he also says he is the creator of the jacket and he possesses the original pattern and the muslins worn by Brad Pitt with his measurements?

Logan sells this jacket on his site. It's called the Darren from the movie the magician's assistant. On Logan's site is sells without distressing as seen here.

On eBay, the real costume jacket that either the actor or stunt man wore was for sale. It had Darren 3 written on it.




The the production must have distressed it for the film

AJRand said:

Ok let me play devils advocate. What proof do we have this jacket was actually around during production? What if it is a replicated prop that had two mistakes? Collar and pockets.

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Like how do we not know someone took Polaroids of the original jacket and tried to replicate it back in 2000?

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I mean isn't strange JAL is saying he hasn't seen this jacket yet he also says he is the creator of the jacket and he possesses the original pattern and the muslins worn by Brad Pitt with his measurements?

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We don't have proof Aj. I have thought about that too. That maybe production had made an inaccurate replica for the film. Also thought maybe Kaplan had that jacket made as a prototype and then had logan make the film jacket. That doesn't explain that absolute perfection of a distressing job they did and the fact that it looks like it is old as ****. They would've had to replicate it and do the best distressing job ever to make it look old to pass it off as a vintage jacket. Just a bit far fetched but not absolutely out of the question.

Also aj, if it was a replicated prop then how do we explain the fact that the people who had this jacket also had the pants fur coat track pants

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I am neither denying or affirming the validity of that jacket. I can't authenticate it.
I have had a lot of conversations with many fans of this jacket over the years.
I do not have pics of the samples from that time.
sorry I don't have any further info for you about that pic. I can not verify if that is
a jacket form the movie or not. I can't tell you if the ager dyer form the film touched the jacket in your email.
That is beyond my expertise.
I can make for you a new jacket if you want.

All the best,
Jonathan

^ a response to my last email. I won't bother him anymore and I hope no one else does either. It remains a mystery. Now we can at least assume that billion dollar studios like 20th century fox has their own professional garment agers who spend their life studying the right ways to age and dye a leather garment to make it look like it did in the film and that it's not an overnight job. I am now studying film production here in la and I can tell you a it'll drive you crazy to know how much time, effort and hard work goes on during the production of a film

To me I am gonna believe Jonathan. If he says he made the jacket then he made the jacket from different jackets and came up with the idea. You make it sound like distressing is hard to come across but there are tons of movies made, not just by Fox, that distress costumes. I am sure you could find someone who could do the distressing.

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I bet if this guy xmart brings it to JAL he is gonna get told he didnt make the jacket. Which means someone probably replicated the original, with the collar and pockets mistakes because they are incorrect, then turned around and sold it for 30,000 dollars. Smart guy.

Aj, how do you explain the type of leather used to make the xmart jacket looking like a true vintage 1970's leather? How do you explain that everyone seems to be able to point out that the leather used to make xmart's jacket in no way looks modern? If they replicated it, then they got a vintage leather to replicate it? Are you saying xmart's jacket wasnt even part of the production? Are you saying that somebody took pictures of the screen used jacket and had it replicated and past it off as a screen used jacket? Even tom who had xmart's jacket I his possession and had someone replicate the xmart couldn't get the leather replicated exactly.Below I posted a bit from an interview with Michael Kaplan talking about Fight Club.

Brad Pitt
Fight Club
He's very easy going, very laid-back, he's fun, he's funny, loves clothes, loves to collaborate and he doesn't just want to wear anything. He is clear who the character is and that is important to me and we have a great professional relationship. In Fight Club, his character had no money, he was living in a house that didn't belong to him and his clothes couldn't be fancy. I decided he was going to be a person who gets great things in thrift shops, because I do that and I know they can be found. The problem was that we needed multiples – I couldn't just go to a thrift store and buy him a great leather jacket because of the fighting scenes and stunt doubles. We needed maybe 12 of the jackets. I made his clothes and found this old, hard leather base they used to make jackets out of in the 1970s – it's almost like car upholstery, not like the soft, buttery leather they use now. I had it dyed and I wanted it to be the colour of dried blood. We designed it and fashioned it after the way clothes were made then but it looked like it was from a thrift shop – we broke some buttons, tore the lining and put stains on it to make it look like something somebody wouldn't want anymore.

xmart had this to say:


Posts: 15


This is the jacket that was auctioned off by Fox over a decade ago and later sold by Screen Used.

It was great chatting to Rupert about it in person - when you are writing to each other - there is only so much you can talk - when you are chatting in person it's a 2 hour long conversation. Too much fun.

I currently am on my cell phone so wish I could write longer about it - will do when I'm on a proper computer.
Long story short after reading couple comments on the forum my plan was to return it to Fox for a replacement as it was sold as a "screen worn" jacket not a prototype as some claim to be. I have nothing to lose here as long as I have the official paperwork. However after studying the jacket a little longer in depth it looks like this may indeed be a screen used jacket and also the jacket worn by Pitt on the cover of W magazine.

Yea there are other jackets with slight variations - but this looks like a winner so far. I will look more in depth to this and will also take it to Jonathan Logan in my next LA trip to see what he has to say about it.
If there is one person who wants mystery to be solved - that's me guys.

Not making any assumptions - if it's proven correct - great I will keep it with rest of the outfits from the film in my collection. If not I'll have it replaced with one of the jackets currently at Fox or exhibit since it was officially auctioned as "screen used". So know that I have nothing to lose here - and not trying to prove something right if it's indeed wrong. Anything is possible. Certainly a fun journey awaits.